How to De Stress: 4 Simple Stress Busters That You Can Take Advantage Of

Learning how to de stress offers plenty of benefits. This is especially true to individuals who are living in the fast lane (guilty). If you think that you are too busy to find time for relaxation, then you might want to consider the following tips offered by experts on how to reduce stress levels.

Here are some of the things that you can do to on how to de stress.

• Sniff. Smelling perfume or essential oils on your hand can change your mood in a positive way. Or you can opt to peel an orange and smell its scent. The great scent of an orange will help you feel rejuvenated (I do this in the afternoon after a long day's work)
• Meditate. You can pray or be with nature. Simply take a few minutes of your time to open your mind and focus. 
• Laugh. If you are a subscriber of Reader's Digest Asia edition, you might want to open it and read its "Laugh" department or the column of Nury Vittachi. They offer best medicine -- laughter. Or you can visit a website that posts jokes. By laughing, you are eliminating the stress in your life. (Sometimes, I just remember funny moments of my life so I can laugh hard and improve the rest of my day.)
• Eat. But you should only choose healthy options. Grab an apple or a bag of grapes, if you like. 

There are other techniques that you can do on how to de stress. By reducing stress levels, you can maximize your productivity.

Photo Source: diy-stress-relief.com
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Snack: The Do's and Don'ts of Snacking

A healthy snack is necessary to keep your metabolism going. It is good for you. Therefore, you should not deprive yourself of eating diet food in between meals. But what are its do's and don'ts?

DOs

• Eat mixed nuts. They are rich in fiber and can help you boost your energy levels in the afternoon. 
• Place healthy snacks at the most convenient place in your house. According to experts, people are more likely to choose healthy snack if they can easily reach it every time they need something to eat. 
• Put your food on a plate or a bowl. This is to avoid overeating. 
• Eat fruits, vegetables, and cheese.
• Hydrate yourself by drinking at least 8 glasses of water each day. 

DON'Ts

• Do not wait too long to eat something. If you are really hungry, you must satisfy your hunger by eating healthy snack. Keep in mind that one of the causes of overeating is undereating. 
• Do not immediately eat light snacks without justifying it. Instead, you must opt for healthier snacks.
• Do not think that all veggies are healthy options. Keep in mind that veggie chips are  not healthier alternatives. Instead, choose baked potates or fresh vegetables. 

Photo source: cspinet.org
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How To Be Thin: 5 Habits Of Naturally Slim Individuals

The naturally slim individuals know the secrets on how to be thin. Because of that, they do not struggle with their weight. Although it is not on their genes, they can keep their body as slim as possible. You, too, can achieve a healthier, sexier body as long as you follow the habits of those naturally slim individuals.

Slim women and men maintain their weight through these habits. They can work for you as well but you need to have commitment so you can easily stick with them.

1. Weigh yourself regularly. According to health experts, weighing in regularly offers you positive reinforcement that can help in maintaining healthy eating habits. This tip on how to be thin allows you to catch small gains before they become a monstrous problem in the future. In a research conducted, it has been concluded that those who weigh themselves consistently put on less than 5 pounds in a year. But how often should you check your weight? If possible, you should do it once a day. If your weight rises by more than 1 or 2 pounds, you should immediately tweak your diet or exercise. Consider it as a red flag.
2. Eat enough protein. This is another tip on how to be thin that you should follow in order to maintain your ideal weight. Slim women who include high protein in their diets have been able to maintain a 14-pound loss for more than 12 months. For those who only eat less than 72 grams of protein each day, they have only managed to sustain a 7.5-pound weight loss during the same period. What you need to do is to opt to add protein on your meals and snacks. Instead of eating pretzels in the afternoon, you can eat a mini cheese-and-turkey roll-up.
3. Consume fruits and vegetables. Opting to have greens on your plate is another technique on how to be thin.  Vegetables and fruits will not only protect you from various diseases but they can also keep extra pounds from going back on. Those slim women who consume highest number of fruits and vegetable servings are likely to prevent themselves from regaining their unhealthy weight.
4. Exercise regularly. You should learn to love exercise. Those individuals who can manage to exercise at least 30 minutes each day have kept their weight off. With regular workout routines, you can maintain lean muscle mass allowing you to burn more fats even while you are at rest. Apart from that, exercise also enables you to have occasional slice of cake without gaining weight. This how-to-be-thin tip may be difficult at first but you can get the hang of it, if you are really committed to lose weight.
5. Avoid eating out. As much as possible, you should avoid eating out or at least dine out less often. Keep in mind that restaurant meals have more than 1,000 calories per serving that can surely sabotage your weight-loss success. You can minimize the damage by opting to cook at home, rather than dining out.

The above mentioned tips are just few of the strategies that you should know on how to be thin. They are effective and they may work for you. 

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Survival Rate for Cardiac Arrest: 3 Ways to Increase Chances of Survival During Cardiac Arrest

Survival rate for cardiac arrest outside a hospital is very low. According to medical statistics, only 5% to 10% live. But the number rises if medical team can restore the heart rhythm within 30 minutes. So, when a loved one experiences cardiac arrest, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) must be started immediately. But you have to do it fast as no one has survived longer than 45 minutes. Doing the CPR is a very intimate thing. Some medics cry while doing it.

You can save a loved one by arming yourself with some basic cardiac survival tips.

• Know the symptoms of cardiac arrest. When you know the warning signs and symptoms, you can take quick action to save your loved one. Make sure that your family and friends know them too in case you suffer cardiac arrest. 
• Call for help immediately. As mentioned earlier, immediate medical attention must be provided to increase survival rate for cardiac arrest. 
• Get training in CPR. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation can really help someone who is experiencing cardiac arrest. You could save someone's life by learning how to perform CPR. You can get training at Red Cross. 

Photo Source: ic.steadyhealth.com

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Meningococcal B: 4 Useful Tips to Prevent Yourself from Catching Meningitis

Meningococcal B is a bacterial infection that can affect the membranes covering the brain and the spinal cord. It commonly affects infants, young children and students residing in dormitories. Because it can cause death, it requires immediate medical treatment. Still, prevention is better than cure.

Listed below are ways on how to help you avoid suffering from meningococcal B. 

• Do not share drinks or eating utensils with a person who may be ill. He/she might be carrying the bacteria that can cause meningococcal B. 
• Seek medical attention if you have fever or infection. Take the medications according to your doctor's recommendation. Follow what your doctor has prescribed. 
• Get vaccinated for this disease. Although you cannot get a vaccine that can protect you against meningococcal B, you can get vaccinated against Hib, measles, polio, measles, mumps and pneumococcus. These diseases can lead to meningitis. 
• Go to the emergency room or call your doctor if you have been exposed to a person with such disease. You may be given a course of antibiotics to prevent you from suffering this condition. Keep in mind that this disease is contagious for 24 hours. 

Even if it is treated immediately, it can still cause brain damage, permanent hearing loss, loss of limbs, seizure disorder or death. 

This article is inspired by a story about Bernadette Gribaldi featured on Reader's Digest. Reading it made my heart ache. I don't want it to happen to my own child. 

Photo Source: saresearch.com

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Dessert: 5 Surprising Ways to Make Healthier Dessert

I love dessert. Although I am watching my diet, I cannot stop myself from eating sugary foods rich in saturated fat and refined carbohydrates. But because of the consequences of devouring too much of them, I have found some strategies that can slash the kilojoules and make healthier dessert.

• Make smaller desserts. Instead of preparing the whole recipe, cutting it in half can make smaller serves, thereby, reducing kilojoule load. Although they are smaller desserts, they can still satisfy sugar cravings. 
• Add fruits. According to experts, desserts overloaded with fruits have fewer kilojoules compared with those that are chocolate-based. Fruits improve the overall benefits of a dessert because they are rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants. Therefore, it would be best to add in more fruit than what is stated in the original recipe. 
• Reduce sugar. Desserts may mean a lot of sugar but they can be cut back without directly affecting the flavor. But this strategy is very tricky. To make it work, start by taking out at least 10% of the sugar. 
• Tweak recipes. By this it means reducing or eliminating unhealthy ingredients. For instance, instead of using cream, adding natural yoghurt and ricotta will do. Any tweaking will do as long as it aims to reduce saturated fats, kilojoules and sugar. 
• Replace white flour. Use whole grain flour, instead. It is high in fiber, vitamins and minerals. 

Desserts are there to satisfy sugar cravings. They can be healthy if they are eaten moderately. Also, it would help if you eat it at the table, rather than eating them mindfully while watching TV. 

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Red Meat or Chicken: Which Is a Healthier Choice?

Chicken may be a better option because it is considered as a low-fat meat. But these days, you can easily find red meat lowe in saturated fat, such as lean cuts of lamb and beef. Many of them can now compete with the fat content of chicken.

Another reason you might want to think twice of opting for red meat instead of chicken is the fact that the former contains a good amount of protein. Plus, it is rich in vital minerals, including iron and zinc.

But, if you were to choose between these two options again? The most ideal answer is to eat both chicken and red meat. They are healthy choices. You can also vary your protein sources by including these to your menu:

• Eggs
• Nuts 
• Soy Foods
• Legumes

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Stomach Pain: 3 Approaches That Can Help in Treating Stomachache Caused by IBS

Stomach Pain: 3 Approaches That Can Help in Treating Stomachache Caused by IBS

There are various causes of stomach but the major reasons are kidney stones, hernia, ulcers, gastric problems and inflammation of gallbladder. Regardless of the reason, there are a few remedies that you can keep in mind in case your stomach aches... right... at... this... moment.

• Juices. You can get instant relief by mixing one tablespoon of mint juice, ginger juice and lime juice. A pinch of black salt is also added to the mixture to further help in remedying it. 
• Pomegranates. They can help in providing relief to stomachache by chewing the seeds of pomegranates with salt and black salt. 

If you are suffering from Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), you can try the following approaches: 

• Antibiotic. Rifaximin is a common antibiotic used to alleviate the symptoms of IBS, such as stomach pain, diarrhea, and bloating. The benefits of this drug can last for more than 60 days. 
• Consult a physician. As mentioned earlier, stomachache has a lot of causes. Therefore, it is recommended that you check with your doctor to determine the real cause of it. According to a report, some people, who complained of pain in their stomach, were misdiagnosed of having IBS when in fact they have problems related to their gallbladder, inflammation in their colon or lactose intolerance. These 3 conditions mimic the symptoms of IBS. If you think that you have more than just IBS symptoms, you should force your doctor to investigate further. 
• Relax your muscles and brain. Sometimes, stomach pain can be easily relieved by muscle relaxation. You can also control the pain by managing your anxiety levels. 

Photo source: nlm.nih.gov

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Diabetes and Bitter Melon: Can Ampalaya (bitter melon) Help in Treating Type-2 Diabetes?

Bitter melon (ampalaya) can help you manage your diabetes. Its bitterness may turn you away from it but it can really help your medical condition. Although it does not cure diabetes, it can assist you in managing your glucose levels.

Apart from controlling your blood glucose levels, bitter melon can offer the following health benefits:

• It contains a plant insulin that lowers blood sugar levels. It has a hypoglycemic agent that can enhance uptake of glucose. It also increases synthesis of glycogen in the liver cells. These compounds are believed to be the agents that can reduce blood sugar levels and may treat type-2 diabetes. 
• It is an excellent source of folate. It reduces the risk of neural tube defects in pregnancy. It must be taken during the first trimester to make it more effective in preventing such defects. 
• It is rich in vitamins that can help in preventing cancers. 
• It relieves indigestion and constipation. 

Symptoms of toxicity

If you take too much of bitter melon, you may experience the following symptoms: 

• Stomach pain
• Nausea
• Diarrhea
• Muscular weakness
• Facial redness
• Excessive salivation

If you cannot take the bitterness of this vegetable, then you may reduce it by soaking it in salt water for 10 minutes. 

At home, we usually eat it raw. 

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Hungry: An Effective Way to Satisfy Your Hunger in the Afternoon

Do you have the urgency to eat in the afternoon because you feel hungry? A reduction of energy in the mid-afternoon may be a result of being famished. Keep in mind hunger does not always manifest a rumbling stomach. Hunger pangs may show as tiredness and irritability for some individuals.

Other people may also feel lightheadedness or the inability to concentrate. In my case, when I feel hungry, I go to our kitchen and open our pantry but I usually struggle to decide what food to eat. I cannot think clearly and make the simplest decision.

According to experts, the best way to satisfy your hunger in the mid-afternoon is to opt for a healthy snack that can help you re-energize. So, instead of sugary fix or caffeinated drinks, you may choose to eat the following:

• Yoghurt
• Fruit
• Nuts (my favorite)
• Wholegrain crackers

The above mentioned foods can keep your energy going until dinner.

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Treadmill: Is Treadmill Better Than Weight Lifting?

According to a research, treadmill has been found to be more effective in getting rid of your visceral fat than using dumbbells. Continue reading this article to find out why.

The visceral fat found within the abdomen is considered as the most harmful fat that can provide great damage to one's health. It is also linked to increase risk of diabetes and heart disease. Because of that, medical experts have been recommending to take up jogging or lift weights to get rid of such fat. But just recently, researchers have found out that the better way to lose belly fats is through jogging, cycling, or walking than lifting weights. This simply means that treadmill is better than weight lifting.

Does resistance training build muscle?

Although resistance training is great in building muscle strength, it fails to target the visceral fat. Therefore, individuals who are living a sedentary lifestyle are advised to choose aerobic training to better lose their fat. Unfortunately, there is no clear method that can determine the exact amount of visceral fat a person has. However, measuring belly size is a good way to start. Even though men are prone to carry more visceral fat as compared to women, the latter begin to put on more of this fat when they have reached menopausal stage.

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Diabetes Type I Treatment: Can a Mobile Phone Help in Controlling Glucose Levels?

With the advanced technology, it is no longer a surprise if there are gadgets or machines invented to treat several types of diseases through unusual routes. One of the latest inventions in the medical field these days is the diabetes type I treatment using a BlackBerry. This treatment option utilizes a small sensor that monitors and takes blood sugar readings. The readings are treated as data that will be transmitted to the phone. In addition to the sensor, the patient also needs to wear an insulin pump. The overall system mimics how pancreas works in regulating the release of insulin so as to normalize blood glucose levels in the blood.

One of the best things about this latest diabetes type I treatment is that it automatically controls blood glucose levels. This latest technology allows diabetic patients to have a good night's sleep as they do not have to wake up several times a night just to check their blood glucose levels.

Unfortunately, this diabetes type I treatment is still under clinical trials. If it would become available on the market, pretty sure it would be expensive. However, this can surely change the way diabetics monitor their blood sugar levels. Since the trial is using a BlackBerry phone, patients may need to purchase such brand of phone to take advantage of this new method, unless the overall system will be compatible with other smart phones, such as iPhone and Samsung. 

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Medifast Weight Loss Plan: 3 Side Effects That You Must Know While On This Program

Medifast weight loss plan has 3 stages. Each stage aims to help you in losing extra weight and maintaining your ideal weight. Although this diet plan is said to be effective (for some people), it may cause side effects.Three of the most common side effects are listed below:

• Dizziness/fatigue. While you are on this program, you may feel dizzy or extra tired. To alleviate it, you may try Medifast Fast soup. In order to avoid this side effect, you make sure that you take at least 8 glasses of water each day. But if you are still experiencing it after your first week on this program, you should immediately consult your physician.
• Leg cramps. If you experience leg cramps while on this program, you should talk to your physician. To avoid it, make sure you are well-hydrated. Drink at least 2 liters of water each day. Before starting  this weight loss program, you should have your blood checked to determine the amount of potassium you might need. Inappropriate amount of potassium can affect heart rhythms.
• Headache. This is said to be the result of the fat-burning state involved in Medifast weight loss program. To relieve the pain, you may take paracetamol. Again, make sure that your body is well-hydrated by drinking at least 64 ounces of water each day. This side effect should be gone after 1 week on the program. If not, you should consult your physician.

You may or may not experience these side effects while you are on this program.

Medifast weight loss program is one of the fastest programs available. But it is not for the weak dieter. However, if you are really committed, then you will really lose weight. Hence, you should pass on the sweets, do not overeat while you are in a party and do whatever it takes for you to lose weight.

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